February 28, 2011

Ask the Nutritionist: Eating an Organic Diet

This was a post that I thought of last night. It seems like many people think that certain foods are healthy just because they are organic.  I am here to give you some information on eating an organic diet.

1. There are 12 fruits/vegetables that contain the most pesticides.  They call these the "Dirty Dozen". If you are interested in eating an organic diet, this is the best place to start by making this produce organic:
■Peaches

■Apples
■Sweet Bell Peppers
■Celery
■Nectarines
■Strawberries
■Cherries
■Pears
■Grapes (Imported)
■Spinach
■Lettuce
■Potatoes
 
2. Here is the list of the fruits/vegetables that contain the least amount of chemicals that you don't necessarily need to eat organic:
■Onions
■Avocado
■Sweet Corn (Frozen)
■Pineapples
■Mango
■Asparagus
■Sweet Peas (Frozen)
■Kiwi Fruit
■Bananas
■Cabbage
■Broccoli
■Papaya

3. Just because a food is organic does not mean that it is necessarily healthy.  For example, you can eat an organic candy bar and many think that it is better for them.  The calories, fat, sugars, etc. are the same as in a non organic product.  Don't be fooled by a product just because it has the label organic on it! Read the label for nutritional information before you assume that it is healthy.

4. Do I eat an organic diet?
No! I eat a few foods that are organic if they are on sale.  Some common produce that is the same price as non organic are mushrooms, carrots, celery, and romaine lettuce.  Whenever these items are on sale, I figure why not get the organic product over a non organic one. 

I have nothing against eating an organic diet but moneywise, it is not something that I am interested in doing. I just try to eat a balanced diet with whole grains, low fat protein, vegetables, dairy, and fruits. 

Do you eat an organic diet?

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Comments

  1. No, I do not eat an organic diet. Organic choices are something that I aim for, but being a college student, it just doesn't make sense to buy organic produce. However, most of the meat, breakfast cereal, canned soup, almond butter, and crackers I eat are organic. When it comes to packaged foods and meat, I read the ingredients before buying which usually leads me to choose the organic.

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  2. I'm a new follower from the blog hop! I hope you'll return the favor! Also, if you'd like, bookmark G4M and return next Sunday for our Sunday Followed & Featured Blog Hop!

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  3. New follower from Follow Me, Chickadee! (thought I was already following, but apparently that was just on FB!)

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  4. I try to eat as close to the source as possible. I don't always eat "certified" organic produce (it costs small farms a lot to get that label), but I support a local farm that takes great care to provide fresh organic foods.

    Good info here- I am going to share a link to this on my facebook page.

    Thanks!

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  5. I try to eat mostly organic when I can! Love your blog. Now following from the blog hop.
    http://supermamawannabe.blogspot.com

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  6. I eat as much organic as I can afford. Its hard to do in our budget. I also hate how the dirty dozen changes every year!!

    I'm stopping by from Mailbox Monday - email subscriber and GFC follower

    www.mamalovesherbargains.com

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  7. Hi! Nice site. I'm your newest follower from The Friday Blog Hop. Marcia at http://learningideasgradesk-8.blogspot.com

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  8. Thanks for that information. An organic diet is very healthy. You should definitely try it.

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  9. Eating an organic diet is about more than what you can afford or how much "healthier" organic seems. I eat organic because growing food according to organic practices translates to healthier soil and water all over the world.

    It's not about you-it's about the earth.

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  10. Thanks for your article. To add another perspective, I eat organic food protects the soil, water, and air all around the world.

    It's not about you or you wallet or how skinny or healthy you want to be, it's about the earth.

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